Celtic chiefs address controversy following Hearts encounter

Celtic interim chairman Brian Wilson has explained why the club chose not to respond immediately to criticism following the pitch invasion after last season’s Premiership title-clinching victory over Hearts.

Wilson, chief executive Michael Nicholson and manager Martin O’Neill met supporters during the Association of Irish Celtic Supporters Clubs AGM after the club’s pre-season friendly against Shelbourne, where they answered questions on several topics, including the controversy surrounding the final game of the campaign.

Following Celtic’s dramatic 3-1 win over Hearts, which secured the league title thanks to Callum Osmand’s stoppage-time winner, some reports claimed Hearts players had been physically assaulted during the post-match celebrations after supporters entered the pitch.

While Celtic apologised for the pitch invasion itself, Wilson explained that the club deliberately chose not to respond publicly to the more serious allegations.

According to the AGM notes, Wilson said the club remained silent because it knew video footage from the incident would eventually become available.

He explained that Celtic allowed events to unfold rather than immediately challenge the reports, believing the footage would provide a clearer picture of what had happened.

Wilson also described the club’s decision not to engage publicly as a successful approach, saying it ultimately worked in Celtic’s favour once the available footage emerged.

Martin O’Neill also reflected on the controversy, revealing he was asked about the incident while working as a television pundit after the season had ended.

According to the AGM notes, the Celtic manager said he found it satisfying that opinions changed once the available evidence became known.

Celtic have consistently maintained that supporters should not have entered the pitch and acknowledged that aspect of the celebrations was unacceptable.

However, the club has also maintained that the more serious allegations made in the aftermath were not supported by the available video evidence.

The incident came after one of the most dramatic finales in recent Scottish Premiership history, with Daizen Maeda’s late equaliser followed by Callum Osmand’s 98th-minute winner securing the title before Celtic completed a domestic double by lifting the Scottish Cup the following week.